Photoacoustic and OCT dual-mode imaging probe convenient to install and adjust

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of imaging, in particular to a photoacoustic and OCT dual-mode imaging probe convenient to install and adjust, the probe comprises a probe shell composed of a first shell and a second shell which are detachably connected, the first shell and the second shell are connected to define a first channel, and a second channel communicated with the first channel is further formed in the probe shell; the device comprises a first channel, a second channel, a first light source assembly, a second light source assembly, a reflection assembly, a collimation assembly, a beam combining assembly, a convergence assembly, a scanning assembly and a photoacoustic coupling assembly, and a light emitting part of the first light source assembly, the collimation assembly, the beam combining assembly, the convergence assembly and the scanning assembly are sequentially arranged in the first channel; the light emitting part of the second light source assembly and the reflection assembly are arranged in the channel II; the photoacoustic coupling assembly is arranged on the probe shell and is used for focusing a light beam scanned by the scanning assembly on an object to be detected; the beam combining assembly is detachably embedded in the first channel, and the reflection assembly is exposed after the beam combining assembly is detached so as to be convenient to disassemble and assemble. The structure is convenient for disassembly, assembly and maintenance of devices.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of imaging technology, in particular to a dual-modality imaging probe for photoacoustic imaging and optical coherence tomography imaging facilitating assembly and adjustment and an imaging system comprising the same. BACKGROUND

[0002] Currently, photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) dual-modality functional or structural imaging is one of the important research contents of biomedical imaging technology development.

[0003] Photoacoustic imaging can be used to reveal structural or functional metabolic information of blood microenvironment, such as blood vessel morphology, blood vessel density, hemoglobin concentration, and blood oxygen saturation, and has the characteristics of label-free, high resolution, and three-dimensional real-time imaging; while optical coherence tomography imaging can provide a high-resolution three-dimensional view of biological tissue structure and also has the advantage of non-contact imaging. Combining photoacoustic and OCT imaging technologies can achieve multi-dimensional imaging from the vascular to the tissue level, and simultaneously obtain structural and functional information, providing powerful non-invasive, three-dimensional optical microscopic imaging technology for clinical precision medical imaging diagnosis or basic research; based on this, the development of dual-modality imaging probes is an important link of dual-modality imaging, which can simultaneously obtain two kinds of data through one scan, reducing the examination time and the harm to the patient.

[0004] Similar to the above-mentioned dual-modality imaging probe, existing patents have reported photoacoustic-OCT dual-modality endoscopic imaging systems or endoscopic probes, which differ from the present patent in internal structure, scanning method, and protection scope. Some patents also report probes combining one or more of optical, photoacoustic, ultrasonic, and OCT, but none of the above has considered the overall packaging, multiple maintenance, and reuse characteristics of the probe. Specifically, for example, Chinese Patent No. CN221577805U discloses a probe for bronchial integrated ultrasonic and OCT imaging, which includes an intermediate sleeve provided with an outer sleeve outside, an accommodation chamber accommodating an optical detection unit and an ultrasonic detection unit is formed inside the intermediate sleeve, a first detection window for emitting a detection light beam and a second detection window for emitting a detection sound wave are arranged on the wall of the intermediate sleeve; a connecting piece for limiting the emission angle of the detection sound wave is arranged in the intermediate sleeve, so that the emission direction of the detection sound wave intersects with the emission direction of the detection light beam at the same patient; when the internal devices are repaired, the outer sleeve and the intermediate sleeve must be disassembled as a whole, and then the devices in the intermediate sleeve are replaced, which is complicated and difficult to operate. SUMMARY

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a photoacoustic and OCT dual-mode imaging probe convenient to assemble and disassemble and an imaging system comprising the dual-mode imaging probe.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present application adopts the following technical scheme: In a first aspect, the present application provides a dual-mode imaging probe, comprising a probe shell composed of a shell one and a shell two connected in a detachable manner, wherein the shell one and the shell two are connected to form a channel one of the probe shell, and the probe shell further has a channel two in communication with the channel one; the probe further comprises a first light source assembly, a second light source assembly, a reflection assembly, a collimation assembly, a beam combining assembly, a converging assembly, a scanning assembly, and a photoacoustic coupling assembly, wherein the light emitting part of the first light source assembly, the collimation assembly, the beam combining assembly, the converging assembly, and the scanning assembly are sequentially arranged in the channel one, the light emitting part of the second light source assembly and the reflection assembly are arranged in the channel two, and the photoacoustic coupling assembly is arranged on the probe shell and used to focus the light beam scanned by the scanning assembly on a measured object; the beam combining assembly is detachably embedded in the channel one, and the reflection assembly is exposed after the beam combining assembly is removed to facilitate disassembly.

[0007] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the dual-mode imaging probe can include that the first light source assembly, the second light source assembly, the reflection assembly, the collimation assembly, the beam combining assembly, the converging assembly, the scanning assembly, and the photoacoustic coupling assembly are all mounted on the shell one.

[0008] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the dual-mode imaging probe can include that the first light source assembly and the second light source assembly are detachably arranged at the same side end of the shell one; the shell two has an end cover part connected with the outer peripheral part of the shell one that forms the channel one, and the end cover part is detachably arranged on the side end of the shell one away from the first light source assembly to close the channel one.

[0009] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the dual-mode imaging probe can include that the channel one between the light emitting part of the first light source assembly and the scanning assembly extends in a first direction, the channel two between the reflection assembly and the beam combining assembly extends in a second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; the beam combining assembly is embedded in the channel one in a direction opposite to the second direction.

[0010] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the dual-modality imaging probe can include that the beam combining assembly includes a mirror base, a dichroic mirror, and a fastener, the mirror base has a first plane and a second plane on opposite sides in the second direction, and has a third plane and a fourth plane on opposite sides in the first direction, the mirror base further has a bevel extending from the first plane in the first direction and towards the second plane to the fourth plane, and the third plane has a light passage hole formed therethrough and extending through the bevel, the dichroic mirror is removably connected to the bevel and covers the light passage hole, and the mirror base further has a fastening hole extending through the first plane and the second plane and for the fastener to pass through.

[0011] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the dual-modality imaging probe can include that the reflection assembly includes a reflection base, a mirror, and a locking fastener, the reflection base includes a fixed portion and an insertion portion, the insertion portion is connected to a side surface of the fixed portion and is capable of being inserted into the passage two in a direction opposite to the second direction, and the mirror is arranged in the insertion portion and is used for reflecting the light beam emitted by the second light source assembly to the dichroic mirror, and the fixed portion has a locking hole formed therein and for the locking fastener to pass through.

[0012] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the dual-modality imaging probe can include that the scanning assembly includes a scanning base, a scanning element, and a connecting piece, the scanning base includes a mounting portion and a sliding portion, one end of the sliding portion is connected to a side surface of the mounting portion facing the converging assembly, and the other end is capable of sliding into the passage one towards the converging assembly, an outer end surface of the other end is obliquely arranged, the scanning element is connected to the outer end surface and is used for reflecting the converged light beam to the photoacoustic coupling assembly and capable of scanning the light beam, and the mounting portion has a connecting hole formed therein and for the connecting piece to pass through.

[0013] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the dual-modality imaging probe can include that an outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion is convexly provided with at least one sliding rail extending in a sliding direction of the sliding portion, and a passage wall of the passage one is formed with at least one sliding groove, and the sliding rail and the sliding groove correspond to each other in one-to-one correspondence.

[0014] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the dual-modality imaging probe can include that the scanning element is an electrostatic MEMS mirror, a piezoelectric MEMS mirror, an electrothermal MEMS mirror, or an electromagnetic MEMS mirror.

[0015] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the dual modality imaging probe can include that the photoacoustic coupling assembly includes an ultrasonic seat, a first glass sheet, a support frame, a second glass sheet, an ultrasonic gland, a waterproof film, a seal, an ultrasonic transducer, and a limiting piece; an assembly gap is formed on the probe shell, the ultrasonic seat is arranged at the assembly gap and is limited by the limiting piece; the first glass sheet is fixedly connected to one end of the ultrasonic seat facing the scanning assembly, the circumferential edge of the ultrasonic gland is connected to the end of the ultrasonic seat away from the first glass sheet, the waterproof film is laid at the central opening of the ultrasonic gland and is tightly sealed by the seal, the seal is embedded in the sealing groove on the side of the ultrasonic gland facing the ultrasonic seat; an enclosed cavity is arranged between the ultrasonic gland and the first glass sheet, the ultrasonic transducer is embedded in the side wall of the ultrasonic seat and can be in contact with the coupling medium in the enclosed cavity, the support frame for fixing the second glass sheet is installed in the enclosed cavity, and the second glass sheet is inclined from the side of the ultrasonic gland to the side of the first glass sheet in a direction close to the ultrasonic transducer.

[0016] The second aspect of the present application provides a dual modality imaging system, comprising the dual modality imaging probe described above.

[0017] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: the dual modality imaging probe proposed in the present application adopts multi-module integrated packaging technology, and the first light source assembly, the second light source assembly, the reflection assembly, the collimation assembly, the beam combination assembly, the convergence assembly, the scanning assembly, and the photoacoustic coupling assembly are independently placed in different parts of the probe shell to form a highly integrated segmented probe architecture. Among them, the shell one and the shell two of the probe shell are detachably connected, the beam combination assembly is detachably embedded in the channel one, and the reflection assembly is exposed after the beam combination assembly is removed, so that the beam combination assembly and the reflection assembly are convenient to disassemble, and at the same time, the channel one is exposed after the shell one and the shell two are split, and each component installed therein can be quickly disassembled, thereby helping to shorten the assembly, calibration and maintenance time; the main devices can be replaced, which greatly reduces the equipment scrap rate caused by local damage, helps to reduce the probe maintenance cost, and prolongs the service life of the dual modality imaging probe.

[0018] Other advantages of the present application and technical effects of the preferred embodiments will be further described in the specific embodiments below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or prior art description will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only constitute some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor.

[0020] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bimodal imaging probe provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 is a plan view of a bimodal imaging probe provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 is a sectional view of a bimodal imaging probe provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a shell one provided by an embodiment of the present application Figure 1 ; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a shell one provided by an embodiment of the present application Figure 2 ; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a shell one provided by an embodiment of the present application Figure 3 ; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a shell two provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a beam combination assembly provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a reflection assembly provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 10 is a perspective view of a scanning assembly provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 11 is a perspective view of a photoacoustic coupling assembly provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 12 is a sectional view of a photoacoustic coupling assembly provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] In the drawings, various reference numbers refer to: DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numbers represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are exemplary and are intended to explain the present application, and cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0023] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0024] It should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0025] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0026] Furthermore, in the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0027] by Figures 1 to 12 Taking this application as an example, we will describe and introduce a dual-modal imaging probe. First, it should be noted that the dual-modal imaging probe provided in this application specifically refers to a photoacoustic and OCT dual-modal imaging probe; more specifically, it is a photoacoustic and OCT dual-modal microscopic imaging probe suitable for imaging skin blood vessels or tissue structures. This structure allows for handheld imaging of the target object, facilitating operation, and the overall structure and internal vulnerable components are easy to disassemble and replace.

[0028] The dual-modal imaging probe specifically includes a probe housing 1, which is composed of a detachably connected housing 11 and housing 12. Housing 11 and housing 12 can be detachably connected via threaded connections, snap-fit ​​connections, magnetic connections, etc. When connected, housing 11 and housing 12 can enclose and form a channel 10 within the probe housing 1. Thus, when housing 11 and housing 12 are separated, channel 10 can be opened, exposing the internal components for operator inspection or replacement.

[0029] The probe housing 1 also has a second channel 100 connected to the first channel 10; furthermore, the dual-modal imaging probe also includes a first light source assembly 2, a second light source assembly 3, a reflection assembly 4, a collimation assembly 5, a beam combiner assembly 6, a converging assembly 7, a scanning assembly 8, and an optical-acoustic coupling assembly 9. In the dual-modal imaging probe, the first light source assembly 2 and the second light source assembly 3 are used to output an OCT light source and an optical-acoustic imaging light source, respectively. The OCT light source can be selected as broadband low-coherence light, such as near-infrared or visible light; the optical-acoustic imaging light source can be selected as pulsed laser, such as near-infrared light, NIR, etc.

[0030] The collimation component 5 can be used to convert the beam emitted by the first light source component 2 into parallel light, which is then input into the beam combining component 6, such as... Figure 3 The green lines are shown. The reflector component 4 can be used to reflect the light beam emitted by the second light source component 3 to the beam combiner component 6, as shown. Figure 3 The red lines indicate this. Beam combiner 6 can be used to combine the OCT beam and the photoacoustic beam, making their scanning areas consistent, thus achieving a dual-modal effect. OCT achieves micrometer-level lateral resolution, but is limited by the penetration depth of the scattering medium (typically 1-2 mm). Photoacoustic imaging utilizes ultrasound detection, which can penetrate deeper tissues (e.g., several centimeters subcutaneously). Beam combining technology combines the advantages of both, expanding the imaging applicability. The beam output from beam combiner 6 is sent to converging component 7, such as... Figure 3 The blue lines shown indicate that the converging component 7 is used to ensure the quality and resolution of the optical signal, as well as to control the size of the imaging range; specifically, it can be a lens group. After the converged light is input into the scanning component 8, the scanning component 8 can achieve rapid and accurate scanning of the beam through electrical control signals, thereby converting the information of the object under test from one dimension to two or three dimensions. The scanning component 8 can be, but is not limited to, a stepper motor, a polygonal prism, a scanning galvanometer, an electrostatic, piezoelectric, electrothermal, or electromagnetic MEMS micromirror, etc., and the scanning method can be, but is not limited to, grating scanning, Lissajous scanning, circular scanning, spiral scanning, etc., which can be changed according to the actual application scenario and scanning requirements. The photoacoustic coupling component 9 can be arranged on the probe housing 1 and is used to focus the beam scanned by the scanning component 8 onto the object under test; that is, the beam output by the scanning component 8 enters the photoacoustic coupling component 9 and is focused at the focal point J of the target, such as... Figure 3 As shown.

[0031] Meanwhile, the light emitting part of the first light source assembly 2, the collimating assembly 5, the beam combining assembly 6, the converging assembly 7 and the scanning assembly 8 are sequentially arranged in the channel one 10, and the light emitting part of the second light source assembly 3 and the reflecting assembly 4 are arranged in the channel two 100; preferably, the light emitting part of the first light source assembly 2, the collimating assembly 5, the beam combining assembly 6, the converging assembly 7, the scanning assembly 8 and the above-mentioned photoacoustic coupling assembly 9 are detachably connected to the channel one 10, and the light emitting part of the second light source assembly 3 and the reflecting assembly 4 are detachably connected to the channel two 100, so that each device can be replaced in time after being damaged, and the probe is convenient to maintain.

[0032] Further, the beam combining assembly 6 is detachably embedded in the channel one 10, that is, the beam combining assembly 6 between the collimating assembly 5 and the converging assembly 7 can be embedded or detached from the channel one 10 as needed, and after the beam combining assembly 6 is detached, the reflecting assembly 4 can be exposed to facilitate the disassembly of the reflecting assembly 4. The structure design and layout are reasonable, so that the beam combining assembly 6 and the reflecting assembly 4 located in the channel two 100 are convenient to disassemble, thereby meeting the requirement of easy replacement of the probe.

[0033] The dual-mode imaging probe provided in the present application can be handheld, and the position of the handheld part C can be referred to Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 . The dual-mode imaging probe adopts a multi-module integrated packaging technology, and the first light source assembly 2, the second light source assembly 3, the reflecting assembly 4, the collimating assembly 5, the beam combining assembly 6, the converging assembly 7, the scanning assembly 8 and the photoacoustic coupling assembly 9 are independently placed in different parts inside the probe shell 1 to form a highly integrated segmented probe architecture. Among them, the shell one 11 and the shell two 12 of the probe shell 1 are detachably connected, the beam combining assembly 6 is detachably embedded in the channel one 10, and the reflecting assembly 4 is exposed after the beam combining assembly 6 is detached, so that the beam combining assembly 6 and the reflecting assembly 4 are convenient to disassemble, and at the same time, the shell one 11 and the shell two 12 are split, the channel one 10 is exposed, and each assembly installed therein can be quickly disassembled, thereby helping to shorten the assembly, calibration and maintenance time; the main devices can be detachably replaced, which greatly reduces the equipment scrap rate caused by local damage, helps to reduce the probe maintenance cost, and prolongs the service life of the dual-mode imaging probe.

[0034] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figures 1 to 3, the first light source assembly 2, the second light source assembly 3, the reflecting assembly 4, the collimating assembly 5, the beam combining assembly 6, the converging assembly 7, the scanning assembly 8 and the photoacoustic coupling assembly 9 are all mounted on the shell one 11, that is, the channel two 100 can be arranged in the shell one 11. By integrating all the above-mentioned assemblies on the shell one 11, the layout is concentrated, which can effectively reduce the redundant light path, significantly reduce the size of the dual-mode probe, and make the probe applicable to endoscopes, handheld devices and other scenarios sensitive to size. At the same time, the shell one 11 as an independent functional module is convenient for rapid assembly and maintenance; when the structure needs to be upgraded, it can be improved only by improving the structure of the shell one 11, thereby effectively reducing the production cost.

[0035] In this embodiment, all components (including but not limited to lenses, mirrors, dichroic mirrors, MEMS micromirrors, ultrasonic transducers, etc.) in the probe cooperate with mechanical structural parts to form the above-mentioned respective assemblies, and the above-mentioned assemblies are cooperatively mounted on the shell one 11 to form a form that can be fixed, packaged, disassembled, combined, etc., thereby facilitating the convenient assembly and adjustment of the probe and the later maintenance.

[0036] In some specific embodiments, the first light source assembly 2 and the second light source assembly 3 can be fixed in the shell one 11 by screw connection respectively; the converging assembly 7 and the collimating assembly 5 can be fixed on the shell one 11 by point gluing after precise adjustment.

[0037] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 7 , the first light source assembly 2 and the second light source assembly 3 are arranged on the same side end of the shell one 11, such as Figure 4 two mounting holes on the left side of the shell one 11 for mounting the first light source assembly 2 and the second light source assembly 3 respectively; the shell two 12 has an outer peripheral part 121 surrounding the shell one 11 to form the channel one 10, and an end cover part 122 connected with the outer peripheral part 121, the end cover part 122 is arranged on the side of the shell one 11 away from the first light source assembly 2 to close the channel one 10. Further, as shown in Figure 7 , the side of the outer peripheral part 121 close to the end cover part 122 can be provided with a stepped part for supporting the scanning assembly 8 and a groove part for accommodating the fixed scanning assembly 8, so that the scanning assembly 8 has stronger structural stability in the scenarios of transportation and use.

[0038] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 3 , the bottom of the shell one 11 can be provided with a wire slot, which can be surrounded with the shell two 12 to form a wire hole D, so that the external wires of the internal components can pass through and connect with external devices.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figures 3 to 5 ,Figure 8 and Figure 9 The passage one 10 between the light emitting part of the first light source assembly 2 and the scanning assembly 8 extends along the first direction A, and the passage two 100 between the reflecting assembly 4 and the beam combining assembly 6 extends along the second direction B which is perpendicular to the first direction A; the beam combining assembly 6 is embedded in the passage one 10 in the direction opposite to the second direction B. This design is beneficial to the layout of the devices in the passage one 10, and is also beneficial to the embedding of the beam combining assembly 6 in the passage one 10, and makes the reflecting assembly 4 in the passage two 100 more convenient to observe and disassemble after the beam combining assembly 6 is removed, compared with the case that the second direction B is not perpendicular to the first direction A (such as an acute angle or an obtuse angle).

[0040] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 8 The beam combining assembly 6 comprises a mirror seat 61, a dichroic mirror 62 and a fastener 63, wherein the mirror seat 61 has a first plane 611 and a second plane 612 on opposite sides along the second direction B, as shown in Figure 8 , i.e. the top and bottom surfaces of the mirror seat 61 are the first plane 611 and the second plane 612 respectively; the mirror seat 61 has a third plane 613 and a fourth plane 614 on opposite sides along the first direction A, as shown in Figure 8 , i.e. the left and right surfaces of the mirror seat 61 are the third plane 613 and the fourth plane 614 respectively; the mirror seat 61 also has an inclined plane 615 extending from the first plane 611 to the fourth plane 614 along the first direction A and towards the second plane 612, as shown in Figure 8 ; meanwhile, the third plane 613 is formed with a light passing hole 60 penetrating the inclined plane 615; the dichroic mirror 62 is detachably connected to the inclined plane 615 and covers the light passing hole 60, and the oblique installation of the dichroic mirror 62 can make the light beams of the OCT and the PAI overlap in space, and the light splitting through the dichroic mirror 62 can realize the cooperative work of the light paths of the OCT and the PAI, while ensuring that the two modalities do not interfere with each other; the mirror seat 61 is also provided with a fastening hole 630 penetrating the first plane 611 and the second plane 612 and for the fastener 63 to pass through, and the assembly of the fastener 63 and the fastening hole 630 can facilitate the disassembly of the beam combining assembly 6.

[0041] Optionally, the dichroic mirror 62 can be adhered to the designated position of the mirror seat 61 by an optical grade adhesive, and other forms of installation and fixation can also be adopted, which are not limited herein.

[0042] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 9The reflection assembly 4 comprises a reflection base 41, a reflection mirror 42 and a locking member 43. The reflection base 41 comprises a fixed part 411 and a plug-in part 412. The plug-in part 412 is connected to one side surface of the fixed part 411 and can be plugged into the channel two 100 in a direction opposite to the second direction B. The reflection mirror 42 is arranged in the plug-in part 412 and is used to reflect the light beam emitted by the second light source assembly 3 to the dichroic mirror 62. The locking hole 40 is formed in the fixed part 411 for the locking member 43 to pass through. The reflection mirror 42 can be, but is not limited to, a right-angle prism, a plane mirror 42, etc. and can be changed according to actual use scenarios. The reflection mirror 42 and the reflection base 41 can be connected by adhesive or can be fixed by other forms.

[0043] Preferably, the fixed part 411 and the plug-in part 412 of the reflection base 41 can be cuboid structures. The mechanical structure of the plug-in part 412 helps to limit the installation degrees of freedom, thereby reducing the influence of human installation deviation on the light path. By plugging the plug-in part 412 into the channel two 100 in the specific direction opposite to the second direction B, the reflection mirror 42 can be quickly positioned and fixed without complex adjustment. The design of embedding the plug-in part 412 into the channel two 100 also helps to save the internal space of the probe. After the plug-in part 412 is plugged into the channel two 100, the position and angle of the reflection mirror 42 are pre-designed to match the dichroic mirror 62, which can ensure that the light beam is accurately reflected to the dichroic mirror 62 and reduce the light path deviation. In addition, the reflection mirror 42 is integrated in the plug-in part 412, which can avoid direct contact with the external environment, reduce the risk of pollution or damage, and facilitate individual replacement or cleaning.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 10 The scanning assembly 8 comprises a scanning base 81, a scanning element 82 and a connecting member 83. The scanning base 81 comprises a mounting part 811 and a sliding part 812. One end of the sliding part 812 is connected to one side surface of the mounting part 811 facing the converging assembly 7, and the other end can slide into the channel one 10 towards the converging assembly 7. The outer end surface of the other end is inclinedly arranged. The scanning element 82 is connected to the outer end surface and is used to reflect the converged light beam to the photoacoustic coupling assembly 9 and can scan the light beam. The connecting hole 80 is formed in the mounting part 811 for the connecting member 83 to pass through. The scanning element 82 and the outer end of the sliding part 812 can be connected by adhesive or can be fixed by other forms, which are not limited herein. By setting the sliding part 812 which can slide into the channel one 10 inside the probe, the scanning assembly 8 can be quickly positioned and installed.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 10The outer circumferential surface of the sliding part 812 is provided with at least one sliding rail 8121 extending along the sliding direction of the sliding part 812, and the passage wall of the passage one 10 is formed with at least one sliding groove 800, and the sliding rail 8121 corresponds to the sliding groove 800. By arranging the sliding rail 8121 and the sliding groove 800, the orientation stability of the scanning element 82 can be maintained when the sliding part 812 moves along the passage one 10, and the light beam is prevented from deviating. At the same time, the structure cooperates with the connecting piece 83 and the connecting hole 80, so that the position stability of the scanning element 82 can be improved, and it is more suitable for dynamic scanning scenes.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present application, the scanning element 82 is an electrostatic MEMS micromirror, a piezoelectric MEMS micromirror, an electrothermal MEMS micromirror, or an electromagnetic MEMS micromirror. Compared with traditional scanning technology, the MEMS micromirror can realize high-speed scanning, and has low power consumption, small size, light weight, and low cost, and is suitable for scanning scenes with high integration and dynamic performance requirements.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 11 and Figure 12 The photoacoustic coupling assembly 9 includes an ultrasonic seat 91, a first glass sheet 92, a support frame 93, a second glass sheet 94, an ultrasonic gland 95, a waterproof film 96, a sealing element 97, an ultrasonic transducer 98, and a limiting element 99. The probe shell 1 is formed with an assembly gap 110 (as shown in Figure 4 or Figure 5 The ultrasonic seat 91 is arranged at the assembly gap 110 and is limited by the limiting element 99, that is, the ultrasonic seat 91 can be fixedly installed at the assembly gap 110 by the limiting element 99. The first glass sheet 92 is fixedly connected to one end of the ultrasonic seat 91 facing the scanning assembly 8. The ultrasonic gland 95 and the first glass sheet 92 are provided with a closed cavity 90. The closed cavity 90 can be filled with an appropriate amount of coupling medium (such as water, coupling agent, etc.). The first glass sheet 92 can be used to prevent the coupling medium in the closed cavity 90 from dripping onto the scanning assembly 8, and can also ensure that the light passes through smoothly.

[0048] The circumferential edge of the ultrasonic gland 95 can be connected to the end of the ultrasonic seat 91 away from the first glass sheet 92. The ultrasonic gland 95 and the ultrasonic seat 91 can be connected by a threaded connection, a buckle connection, or the like. The middle part of the ultrasonic gland 95 can be provided with an opening for the light to pass through. The waterproof film 96 can be flatly laid at the middle opening of the ultrasonic gland 95 and tightly sealed by the sealing element 97. The sealing element 97 can be embedded in the sealing groove 910 on the side of the ultrasonic gland 95 facing the ultrasonic seat 91. For details, please refer to Figure 12 The sealing element 97 and the sealing groove 910 can be annular to improve the performance of sealing the closed cavity 90 and tightly sealing the waterproof film 96.

[0049] The ultrasonic transducer 98 is embedded in the sidewall of the ultrasonic seat 91 and can be in contact with the coupling medium in the closed cavity 90. The ultrasonic transducer 98 can be used to realize the mutual conversion between acoustic energy and electric energy. Specifically, after the pulsed laser of the PAI irradiates the tissue and is absorbed, the tissue will expand thermally and excite ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic transducer 98 can receive the ultrasonic wave signal and convert it into an electric signal, and the photoacoustic image is reconstructed by an algorithm. After the laser of the OCT irradiates the tissue, the light is backscattered between different layers in the tissue, and part of the light returns along the incident path. The returned light signal interferes with the light of the reference arm, and the depth structure information of the tissue can be obtained by detecting the interference signal.

[0050] The support frame 93 is used to fix the second glass 94. The support frame 93 can be installed in the closed cavity 90, and at the same time, the second glass 94 can be inclined from one side of the ultrasonic gland 95 to the side of the first glass 92 in the direction close to the ultrasonic transducer 98. The specific inclination mode can be as shown in Figure 12 As a preferred embodiment, the support frame 93 fixed with the second glass 94 can be smoothly slid into the specified position in the cavity along the precise guide groove on the ultrasonic seat 91, so as to improve the position stability of the second glass 94.

[0051] Since the optical refractive index of the coupling medium and the glass is close, the light emitted by the scanning assembly vertically enters the first glass 92 and the second glass 94 from the bottom, and the light does not deviate and can pass through smoothly. However, there is a certain difference between the acoustic impedance of the coupling medium and the glass, which will cause the ultrasonic wave excited by the PAI laser to be reflected by the second glass 94 at a corresponding angle in the coupling medium, and part of the light scattered by the OCT can return along the incident path through the second glass 94. Therefore, the second glass 94 is used to realize the function of light transmission and sound reflection.

[0052] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 12 The first glass 92 can be fixed on the bottom of the ultrasonic seat 91 by pasting, and the second glass 94 can be fixed on the support frame 93 by pasting. The support frame 93 can be a glass frame. The ultrasonic transducer 98 can also be fixed on the corresponding mounting position of the ultrasonic seat 91 by pasting. Of course, the connection of the above-mentioned components can also be realized by other detachable modes, which are not limited here.

[0053] In a more specific embodiment, after the second light source assembly 3 in the shell one 11 of the dual-mode imaging probe is excited, the light path is turned through the reflection assembly 4, and then enters the beam combining assembly 6. At the same time, the laser emitted by the first light source assembly 2 enters the beam combining assembly 6 after beam shaping by the independent collimating assembly 5. The two beams of laser complete accurate beam combining in the beam combining assembly 6, and then pass through the converging assembly 7 for beam focusing, and finally are transmitted to the scanning assembly 8. After two-dimensional scanning of the combined laser by the scanning assembly 8, the light beam passes through the photoacoustic coupling assembly 9 of the shell one 11 to achieve accurate focusing at the preset focal point J. During the debugging stage of the beam combining assembly 6, the alignment of the two different modal light spots can be observed at the far end to ensure the effectiveness of the beam combining and the coaxiality of the two beams of light.

[0054] In an embodiment, the dual-mode imaging probe can be assembled in the following way: first, the components in the channel two 100 are installed, and then the components in the channel one 10 are installed respectively; after the installation is completed, the shell two 12 is assembled with the shell one 11. The disassembly process is opposite to the above-mentioned assembly process, which will not be described here. The disassembly and assembly process is simple, which is convenient for the maintenance and replacement of the components in the probe, and the probe is compact as a whole, which is convenient for miniaturization; the structures and positions of the internal components are stable; by providing the handheld part C, the operation and use of the probe are facilitated.

[0055] On the other hand, the present application also proposes a dual-mode imaging system, which comprises the above-mentioned dual-mode imaging probe or any component in the above-mentioned dual-mode imaging probe; in addition, it should be pointed out that the dual-mode imaging system proposed by the present application includes but is not limited to photoacoustic imaging, optical coherence tomography and other imaging modes, as long as the imaging system comprises the dual-mode imaging probe and its components proposed by the present application, it falls within the protection scope of the dual-mode imaging system proposed by the present application. In order to realize the processing, reconstruction and display of the signals collected by the above-mentioned dual-mode imaging probe and complete the imaging function, in addition to the above-mentioned imaging probe, the imaging system can also include but is not limited to: a signal acquisition device (such as a data acquisition card), a signal processing unit (such as a computer processor), an image reconstruction unit, an image display device (such as a display), and system components such as an excitation source (such as a laser) and a scanning control part which work with the above-mentioned imaging probe, which are not limited here.

[0056] The defects of the above-mentioned solutions and the proposed solutions are the results of the inventors after careful research and practice, therefore, the discovery process of the above-mentioned problems and the solutions proposed by the present disclosure to solve the above-mentioned problems should be the contribution of the inventors to the present disclosure in the process of the present disclosure.

[0057] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present application are merely examples for clear illustration of the present application, and are not intended to limit the implementation modes of the present application. Based on the above description, other different forms of changes or variations can also be made by those skilled in the art. Here, all the implementation modes are not required or can not be exhausted. Any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A dual modality imaging probe, characterized in that, The probe shell comprises a shell one and a shell two which are detachably connected, and a channel one is formed after the shell one and the shell two are connected; the probe shell further has a channel two which is communicated with the channel one; The probe further comprises a first light source assembly, a second light source assembly, a reflecting assembly, a collimating assembly, a beam combining assembly, a converging assembly, a scanning assembly and a photoacoustic coupling assembly; the light emitting part of the first light source assembly, the collimating assembly, the beam combining assembly, the converging assembly and the scanning assembly are sequentially arranged in the channel one; the light emitting part of the second light source assembly and the reflecting assembly are arranged in the channel two; the reflecting assembly is used for reflecting the light beam emitted by the second light source assembly to the beam combining assembly; the photoacoustic coupling assembly is arranged on the probe shell and is used for focusing the light beam scanned by the scanning assembly on the object to be measured; The beam combining assembly is detachably embedded in the channel one; the reflecting assembly is exposed after the beam combining assembly is detached so as to facilitate the disassembly.

2. The dual modality imaging probe of claim 1, wherein, The first light source assembly, the second light source assembly, the reflecting assembly, the collimating assembly, the beam combining assembly, the converging assembly, the scanning assembly and the photoacoustic coupling assembly are all mounted on the shell one.

3. The dual modality imaging probe of claim 2, wherein, The first light source assembly and the second light source assembly are detachably arranged at the same side end of the shell one; the shell two has an end cover part which is connected with the outer peripheral part of the shell one which forms the channel one; the end cover part is detachably arranged on the side end of the shell one which is away from the first light source assembly so as to close the channel one.

4. The dual modality imaging probe of claim 1, wherein, The channel one between the light emitting part of the first light source assembly and the scanning assembly extends along a first direction; the channel two between the reflecting assembly and the beam combining assembly extends along a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction; the beam combining assembly is embedded in the channel one in a direction which is opposite to the second direction.

5. The dual modality imaging probe of claim 4, wherein, The beam combining assembly comprises a mirror seat, a dichroic mirror and a fastener; the mirror seat has a first plane and a second plane on opposite sides along the second direction, and has a third plane and a fourth plane on opposite sides along the first direction; the mirror seat further has an inclined surface which extends from the first plane along the first direction to the fourth plane and towards the second plane; the third plane is formed with a light passing hole which penetrates the inclined surface; the dichroic mirror is detachably connected on the inclined surface and covers the light passing hole; the mirror seat is further provided with a fastening hole which penetrates the first plane and the second plane and is used for penetrating the fastener.

6. The dual modality imaging probe of claim 5, wherein, The reflecting assembly comprises a reflecting base, a reflecting mirror and a locking fastener; the reflecting base comprises a fixed part and an inserting part; the inserting part is connected on one side surface of the fixed part and can be inserted into the channel two in a direction which is opposite to the second direction; the reflecting mirror is arranged in the inserting part and is used for reflecting the light beam emitted by the second light source assembly to the dichroic mirror; the fixed part is formed with a locking hole which is used for penetrating the locking fastener.

7. The dual modality imaging probe of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The scanning assembly comprises a scanning seat, a scanning element and a connecting piece, the scanning seat comprises a mounting part and a sliding part, one end of the sliding part is connected to a side surface of the mounting part towards the converging assembly, and the other end can slide into the channel one of the converging assembly; the outer end surface of the other end is inclined, and the scanning element is connected to the outer end surface for reflecting the converged light beam to the photoacoustic coupling assembly and capable of scanning the light beam; the mounting part is formed with a connecting hole for the connecting piece to pass through.

8. The dual modality imaging probe of claim 7, wherein, At least one sliding rail extending along the sliding direction of the sliding part is protruded on the outer peripheral surface of the sliding part, and at least one sliding groove is formed on the channel wall of the channel one, and the sliding rail and the sliding groove correspond to each other one by one. And / or, the scanning element is an electrostatic MEMS micromirror, a piezoelectric MEMS micromirror, an electrothermal MEMS micromirror or an electromagnetic MEMS micromirror.

9. The dual modality imaging probe of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The photoacoustic coupling assembly comprises an ultrasonic seat, a first glass sheet, a support frame, a second glass sheet, an ultrasonic gland, a waterproof film, a sealing element, an ultrasonic transducer and a limiting element; the probe shell is formed with an assembly gap, the ultrasonic seat is arranged at the assembly gap and limited by the limiting element; the first glass sheet is fixedly connected to one end of the ultrasonic seat towards the scanning assembly, the circumferential edge of the ultrasonic gland is connected to the end of the ultrasonic seat away from the first glass sheet, the waterproof film is laid at the central opening of the ultrasonic gland and tightly sealed by the sealing element, the sealing element is embedded in the sealing groove on the side of the ultrasonic gland towards the ultrasonic seat; an enclosed cavity is arranged between the ultrasonic gland and the first glass sheet, the ultrasonic transducer is embedded in the side wall of the ultrasonic seat and can contact the coupling medium in the enclosed cavity, the support frame for fixing the second glass sheet is installed in the enclosed cavity, and the second glass sheet is inclined from the side of the ultrasonic gland towards the ultrasonic transducer to the side of the first glass sheet.

10. A dual modality imaging system, characterized in that, The dual-mode imaging probe comprises the dual-mode imaging probe according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The dual-mode imaging probe comprises the dual-mode imaging probe according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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